The Maple River/United South Central wrestling team placed second in the 12-team PEM (Plainview-Elgin-Millville) Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 15.

Lewiston-Altura-Rushford-Peterson finished in first place with 182 points which was only nine more points than MR/USC’s total of 173. Lake City was third with 151 points, PEM was fourth with 149 and St. Thomas Academy rounded out the top five with a score of 142.

MR/USC had 11 wrestlers place fifth or higher in their individual weight brackets during the tournament.

Two MR/USC wrestlers, Boden Simon at 132 pounds and Cooper Ochsendorf at 170, brought home individual championships.

Boden Simon won his championship match with a 2-0 decision over Daylin Haney of LaCrosse Logan.

Ochsendorf won his match for first place by pinning Orion Sass of Fillmore Central-Lanesboro-Mabel Canton (FCLMC).

Ethan Elvebak at 126 pounds and Thayne Decker finished second in their weight brackets. Wyatt Walters at 106 pounds and Konnor Harpestad at 152 wrestled to third-place finishes.

Finishing fourth were Braxton Simon in the 120-pound weight bracket and Robert Borden at 145 pounds. MR/USC had three wrestlers finish in fifth place. They were Kolt Bullerman at 113 pounds, Gavin Bird at 138 and Collin Van Cleave at 195 pounds.

MR/USC Triangular

The Albert Lea Tigers and the Sibley East Wolverines traveled to Mapleton on Thursday, Jan. 13, to compete with Maple River/ United South Central in a triangular wrestling meet.

MR/USC went 2-0 for the night be beating Albert Lea 40-31 and Sibley East 57-12. The Tigers defeated the Wolverines 72-9 in the other match.

MR/USC 40,

Albert Lea 31

Maple River/ USC trailed Albert Lea 31-28 with two matches remaining, but pins by MR/USC’s Thayne Decker at 220 pounds and Colten Berkner at 285 pounds gave the home team 12 more points and the 40-31 triumph.

The Tigers had jumped out to an 18-0 lead by earning falls in the first three matches.

Michael Olson pinned MR/USC’s Wyatt Walters at 106 pounds. Logan Davis won by a fall over Kolt Bullerman at 113 pounds and Brody Ignaszewski pinned Braxton Simon at 120 pounds.

MR/USC got on the board with six points courtesy of a pin by Ethan Elvebak over Kameron Nelson at 126 pounds.

Boden Simon’s 7-1 decision over Nick Korman in the 132-pound match cut Albert Lea’s lead to 18-9.

The Tigers increased their lead to 22-9 when Cameron Davis scored a 13-4 major decision over Byron Getchell in the 138-pound match.

Ethan Evenson’s pin of Maverick Attig at 145 pounds and Konner Harpestad’s win by fall over Triton Cox in the 152-pound match cut the Tigers’ lead to one point at 22-21.

MR/USC grabbed their first lead of the contest at 24-22 when Noah Ziegler won a close 8-7 decision over Carter Miller at 160 pounds.

MR/USC increased its lead to 28-22 courtesy of Cooper Ochsendorf’s 14-2 major decision over Blake Braun.

Mason Attig of the Tigers was victorious by an 11-6 decision over Laken Ivie at 182 pounds to cut MR/USC’s lead to 28-25.

Albert Lea went back on top 31-28 when Kadin Indrelie won by a fall over Collin Van Cleave at 195 pounds.

Decker’s pin over Adam Semple in the 220-pound match gave MR/USC a 34-31 lead and Berkner topped off the night by pinning Ben Schwemmler at 285 pounds to give MR/USC the 40-31 victory.

MR/USC 57,

Sibley East 12

Maple River/ United South Central received five forfeits from Sibley East during their 57-12 victory over the Wolverines.

Byron Getchell at 138 pounds, Cooper Ochsendorf at 170, Collin Van Cleave at 195, Thayne Decker at 220 and Colten Berner at 285 each were awarded six points when the Wolverines forfeited their matches.

Braxton Simon won for MR/USC when he pinned Natalie Diaz at 120 pounds.

Ethan Elvebak scored a 6-2 decision over Josh Sotelo in the 126-pound match and Boden Simon pinned Christian Sotelo at 132 pounds.

Ethan Evenson pinned Bryce Klancke at 145 pounds.

Noah Ziegler won the 160-pound match with a 6-2 decision over Jathen Mendoza.